Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Porchlight International for the Missing & Unidentified. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Hammel, Catherine Ann - (03/23/1998); Houston, Texas
Topic Started: Mar 28 2006, 07:54 PM (675 Views)
Gaelle
Unregistered

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/3742359.html

March 23, 2006, 1:16AM
TRYING TO MOVE ON
Closure remains elusive
After Catherine Hammel vanished in 1998 without a trace, her mother began a yearly journey here to keep the case alive


By MIKE GLENN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

FOR eight years now, Catherine Henderson has journeyed to Houston in an annual pilgrimage marking the anniversary of the disappearance of her 28-year-old daughter, Catherine Hammel.

The New Jersey woman organized yearly search teams whose members distributed an untold number of fliers and knocked on front doors for any clues that might help authorities find her daughter, who was last seen on March 23, 1998, at her west Houston apartment in the 1200 block of Wilcrest.

"It's been the same thing every year — I cry my eyes out and I beg for somebody to give information," Henderson said Wednesday, shortly after arriving in Houston for yet another effort.

"It just kills me — the same as it has done every year," she said, calling it an "ongoing nightmare."

This year, Henderson also will have a memorial Mass for her daughter. It's a step she resisted.

"I never wanted there to be one (a service) because I never wanted to believe she was gone," Henderson said. "But I have to do this. I'm having a memorial so I can send her poor soul to heaven."

At first, Hammel's disappearance was considered a missing-person case, but Houston police homicide detectives took the lead in the investigation, concluding the mother of a now 12-year-old girl would not have vanished of her own accord.

"She had a child that obviously meant a great deal to her," HPD homicide detective C.P. Abbondandolo said. "She would not abandon that child."

On the day she disappeared, Hammel worked at a 24-Hour Fitness gym in the 12400 block of Westheimer until 2 p.m. when she returned home.

Her then-boyfriend, the father of her daughter, told investigators he left home about an hour later but returned at 6 p.m. to find Hammel gone.

Detectives characterized the relationship between Hammel and her boyfriend as "rocky" but said he had been interviewed several times and is not charged in the case.

"But, we have not eliminated anyone as a suspect," Abbondandolo said.

Investigators also canvassed the neighborhood, spending hundreds of hours questioning registered sex offenders or any other suspicious people in the area.

"We have come up with essentially nothing," a clearly frustrated Abbondandolo said. "It's not your typical homicide where you've got a body and a crime scene — evidence to look at."

Hammel's daughter now lives with her paternal grandmother in Houston but often visits her mother's family in New Jersey.

"The best thing that ever happened to her was having that baby. It changed her life," Henderson said.

Hammel juggled several jobs to support her boyfriend and daughter and had a number of close friends, many of whom helped in the search efforts over the years, the woman's younger sister recalled.

"She was a hard-working, dedicated mother who didn't deserve what she got," Antoinette Hammel said. "I just can't ever picture her being dead."

Henderson is not sure that Saturday's memorial service will give her a sense of closure about the disappearance, but she said she likely will now spend most of the time during the yearly visits to Houston visiting with her granddaughter.

Henderson's other daughter, however, says she will continue the search.

"I'll put up fliers. I'll do that every year," Antoinette Hammel said. "You never know who is going to walk by, look at the picture and say, 'Hey, I know that girl.' "

mike.glenn@chron.com
Quote Post Goto Top
 
oldies4mari2004
Unregistered

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hammel_catherine.html
Quote Post Goto Top
 
oldies4mari2004
Unregistered

Catherine Ann Hammel


Above Images: Hammel, circa 1998


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: March 23, 1998 from Houston, Texas
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: January 26, 1970
Age: 28 years old
Height and Weight: 5'3, 120 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Hammel has a small scar near her left eye. Her ears are pierced. Hammel's nickname is Cathy.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A purple 24-Hour Fitness t-shirt, gym shorts and white tennis shoes.


Details of Disappearance

Hammel left her place of employment, 24-Hour Fitness, in Houston, Texas on March 23, 1998. A co-worker dropped Hammel off at her apartment in the 1200 block of Wilcrest at approximately 2:00 p.m. Hammel's boyfriend saw her at her residence one hour later at 3:00 p.m. He left the apartment and returned at approximately 6:00 p.m., by which time Hammel disappeared. She has never been seen again.
Hammel was employed part-time at Nick's Sports Bar and Grill in Houston in 1998. She had an argument with Jose Arenales at the restaurant on March 22, 1998, the night before she disappeared. It is not known if this incident is connected to Hammel's case. Her relationship with her boyfriend, who is the father of her young daughter, was described as "rocky," but he has not been charged in connection with her disappearance.

Authorities do not believe Hammel left of her own accord, as she was attached to her daughter and it would be uncharacteristic of her to abandon the child. Hammel's mother held a memorial service for her daughter in March 2006. Her disappearance remains unsolved.



Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Houston Police Department
713-308-3600
OR
713-308-8805
OR
Texas Department Of Public Safety
800-346-3243



Source Information
Texas Department Of Public Safety
Child Search Ministries
The Houston Chronicle
Houston Police Department



Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004.

Last updated April 9, 2006; details of disappearance updated.

Charley Project Home
Quote Post Goto Top
 
oldies4mari2004
Unregistered

me.jpg
Attached to this post:
Attachments: hammel_catherine.jpg (9.76 KB)
Quote Post Goto Top
 
oldies4mari2004
Unregistered

http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightUSA/...opic=1341&st=0&
Quote Post Goto Top
 
meggilyweggily
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...se.d932fa3.html

Nine-year-old case similar to missing A&M coed

08:35 PM CDT on Friday, March 23, 2007

By Nancy Holland / 11 News

Nancy Holland's 11 News report

It was nine years ago that police spent days looking for Catherine Hammell. Her family said it was not like the 28-year-old mother to simply disappear.

Not long into the search however, police figured they probably had a new murder case.

About a decade ago, police suspected Catherine Hammell was murdered and placed in a trash dumpster

Even nine years later, police hold out some hope of solving Hammell’s case.

"I'm positive that there are people out there who know who is responsible for this,” said Houston police Detective C.P. Abbondandolo, who added the chain of events to Hammell’s disappearance are similar to those of the Tynesha Stewart case.

Stewart is the Texas A&M coed who investigators believe was killed by her ex-boyfriend and her body dumped in a trash bin.
Also online

The latest on the search for Tynesha Stewart's body

"One of the scenarios we put together was that she was placed in a dumpster (at her apartment complex) and we began researching what happened to that dumpster and the trash that was in it,” said Abbondandolo of his case. “It did lead us to the landfill and the difficulties of searching that were just overwhelming and we never were able to search that."

Every year Hammell’s family would return to Houston to follow up on the case. Every year until this year.

Still, her mother waits for a phone call.

"I don't think she's alive. I know she's gone,” said Catherine Henderson. “I just want to take care of her the way everybody deserves to be taken care of. Just not thrown away like a piece of trash, you know. Because that's what I think in my head, that whatever happened to her she's just thrown out there somewhere.

“I want to get her."

Those who worked her case want that too.

They still keep the flyers handy, just in case.

"There are days that I am convinced I know who did it and other times that I'm not sure,” said Abbondandolo.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
meggilyweggily
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
hammel_catherine.jpg
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ell
Member Avatar
Heart of Gold
[ *  *  * ]
Cold Case: Where is Catherine Hammel?

06:29 PM CDT on Sunday, March 23, 2008

By Kevin Peters / 11 News

** Site has video

Video: Kevin Peters' 11 News report HOUSTON -- It’s been said that the passing of time can help heal deep wounds.

But there may not be enough years to ease Catherine Henderson’s pain.

Catherine’s daughter, 28-year-old Catherine Hammel, disappeared on March 23, 1998.

“Somebody did take her life. And I would like to know where she is so I can put her to rest,” Henderson said.

Ten years ago, a friend drove Hammel from her job at a fitness club to her west Houston apartment.

About an hour later, Hammel’s boyfriend came over for a visit.

He would be the last person to ever see her.

In the following days, volunteers helped investigators search Buffalo Bayou for clues, but they found nothing.

Little has changed in the case since then.

“At this point, it’s pretty tough,” HPD Homicide Detective C.P. Abbondandolo said.

Abbondandolo said it’s a frustrating case, and that all the leads have been exhausted.

“Everything we’ve done, we’ve gotten nowhere with it. Everything. We know as much today as we knew back in 1998,” he said.

Hammel’s sister, Antoinette, said she just wants answers.

“Her soul is out there floating around. I just want to put her to rest and have peace of mind for our family,” she said.

Police have yet to charge anyone in the case. But Henderson says no matter who committed the crime, she just wants to find her daughter.

“That man is nothing but a dead man walking in my opinion. He’s never going to get anywhere in his life,” she said.
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...l.1c312619.html
Ell

Only after the last tree has been
cut down;
Only after the last fish has been
caught;
Only after the last river has been
poisoned;
Only then will you realize
that money cannot be eaten.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
monkalup
Member Avatar
The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
[ *  *  * ]
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...ocal&id=6037997

Family of missing woman keeps case alive
Monday, March 24, 2008 | 7:52 AM The family of a woman who disappeared 10 years ago in Houston continues their search for her. HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A New Jersey family continues searching for answers ten years after the disappearance of their daughter here in Houston.
Cathy Ann Hammel was 28 when she vanished after leaving work at a Houston fitness club. She was last seen at her apartment complex on Wilcrest Road. Police followed several leads, but Hammel was never found.
She left behind a daughter who was just three at the time. Every year on the anniversary of Hammel's disappearance, her family makes the long trip from New Jersey to Houston, hoping to keep the case alive.
"Somebody knows what happened to my daughter, somebody is watching this on TV right now and is looking me in the face and knows that we are looking for you and it is time you come clean," said Hammel's mother Catherine Henderson.
Story continues belowAdvertisement
If you have information on the disappearance of Cathy Ann Hammel, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

(Copyright ©2008 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
monkalup
Member Avatar
The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
[ *  *  * ]
Family Searches For Missing Woman 12 Years Later
Cathy Hammel Last Seen On March 23, 1998

POSTED: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
UPDATED: 3:14 pm CDT March 23,2010

HOUSTON -- A family handed out fliers Tuesday in hopes of finding a loved one who was last seen 12 years ago, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Cathy Ann Hammel, 28 at the time, was last seen at her apartment on Wilcrest on March 23, 1998.

Her family and friends gathered at Nick's Sports Bar and Grill in southwest Houston on Tuesday to pass out fliers with information about her disappearance.

Hammel used to work part time at the bar and investigators said she had an argument with a man there the night before she disappeared.

Police said they believe Hammel may have been killed by her ex-boyfriend.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston Police Department at 713-308-3600 or 713-308-8805.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/22922237/detail.html
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
monkalup
Member Avatar
The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
[ *  *  * ]
http://www.click2houston.com/news/18996255/detail.html#-
Mom Searches For Daughter 11 Years Later
By Alana Gomez Dong

POSTED: Monday, March 23, 2009
UPDATED: 5:49 pm CDT March 23, 2009

HOUSTON -- Eleven years after the disappearance of her daughter, a New Jersey woman came to Houston searching for answers, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.
Catherine Ann Hammel
Catherine Ann Hammel

Catherine Henderson's daughter, Catherine Hammel, disappeared on March 23, 1998. She was last seen after a co-worker dropped her off at her west Houston apartment complex in the 1200 block of Wilcrest.

Hammel was 28 years old at the time and had a 3-year-old daughter, who now lives with the girl's father in Houston.

Hammel worked at a 24-Hour Fitness and part-time at Nick's bar on Wilcrest and Briar Forest.

Henderson comes to Houston once a year to revive the search for clues in her daughter's disappearance.

This year, she put up fliers, went to each place her daughter was known to be at the day before she disappeared, talked to the medical examiner's office, and searched at a city landfill. Despite her efforts, no one could give her any answers.

"Someone out there has to know something," said Henderson. "Not knowing is heart wrenching for the family."

Although detectives said they do believe there was foul play, there are still no suspects in the case.

"There is still a great deal of evidence we're working through and we never give up hope on this case," said Detective C.P. Abbey, of Houston Police Department Homicide.

Henderson said every day is a nightmare.

"You wake up thinking about her. You go to sleep praying for her," said Henderson. "It's an every day occurrence."

Henderson said even though it has been 11 years, she'll keep searching more, if needed.

"I'm not going to stop," said Henderson. "I'm going to continue to come down and beg for help from the people of Houston."

Those with information on the case can call HPD at 713-731-5223 or the Laura Recovery Center at 281-482-5723.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Missing Persons Cases 1998 · Next Topic »
Add Reply